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Which platforms allow pre-recorded live streams?

Short answer: Does Facebook allow pre-recorded live streams? Yes, if the video is clearly labelled as pre-recorded. Facebook's Live policy also says Live shouldn't be used for looping videos.

Most platforms let you stream a video you recorded earlier, but they don't all treat it the same way. Some ask you to label it, one doesn't want loops, and one would rather you didn't do it at all. Breaking a platform's rules can cost you reach or a warning, so it's worth knowing them before a recorded stream goes out.

This page sums up what each platform's own pages say. Platforms change their rules, so their pages always win; the date at the top shows when we last read them.

Facebook: allowed, labelled, no loops

Label it. Facebook's Live policy says pre-recorded video shown on Live must be clearly labelled as recorded earlier. In a stream that mixes live and recorded parts, only the recorded parts need the label. A line in the title or description works, and so does an on-screen graphic.

Don't loop. The same policy says Live isn't for content that only repeats, such as a looping video, a still image with nothing happening, or a stream that's only a poll. Leave Facebook out of a looping stream.

Twitch: allowed, marked as a Rerun

Mark it as a Rerun. Twitch's help says to label a rerun in three places: tick Rerun in Edit Stream Info, start the stream title with [Rerun], and start your go-live notification with it too. The checkbox adds a Rerun tag and label to your channel.

Twitch adds that a stream wrongly shown as live can hurt your community's trust, since viewers expect you to be there.

YouTube: allowed

We found no YouTube rule against streaming a recorded video. For a single new video, YouTube's own Premiere is an alternative, with a countdown and a shared first showing; see pre-recorded live stream or YouTube Premiere.

Very long streams. YouTube's help says a live stream longer than 12 hours may not be archived, so the replay of a 24/7 loop isn't something to count on.

Kick: allowed, don't mislead

Kick's community guidelines don't allow misleading content. We found no Kick rule against recorded video, but say it's a replay in the title so viewers aren't misled into thinking you're there.

TikTok: not recommended

TikTok's LIVE guidelines ask creators to be present and on screen, and don't recommend streaming recorded content on LIVE. A recording can be treated as recorded content and shown to fewer people. If TikTok matters to you, keep it for streams where you're there.

A checklist before a recorded stream

Run through this before you go live with a video:

  1. Facebook: say it's pre-recorded in the title or description, and leave Facebook off a looping stream.
  2. Twitch: tick Rerun in Edit Stream Info, and start the title and go-live notification with [Rerun].
  3. Kick: say it's a replay in the title.
  4. TikTok: leave TikTok off, or expect it to show the stream to fewer people.
  5. YouTube: for one new video that lives on YouTube, think about a Premiere instead.

How Multistream helps

Multistream's pre-stream check knows these rules. When you go live with a video, it warns when a loop includes Facebook, reminds you to label the stream for Facebook and Kick and to mark it as a Rerun on Twitch, cautions you about TikTok, and points out the Premiere option for YouTube.

In the app, the Say it's pre-recorded in the title switch adds [Pre-recorded] to your Twitch, YouTube and Kick titles ([Rerun] on Twitch) and puts them back when the stream ends. Facebook has no way for an app to change the title, so add the label there yourself.

Ready? Follow how to stream a pre-recorded video live. For the rules about streaming to several platforms at once, see multistreaming rules.

Questions, answered

Does Facebook allow pre-recorded live streams?

Yes, if the video is clearly labelled as pre-recorded. Facebook's Live policy also says Live shouldn't be used for looping videos.

Can I stream a pre-recorded video on Twitch?

Yes. Twitch asks you to mark it as a Rerun: tick Rerun in Edit Stream Info, and start the title and go-live notification with [Rerun].

Does TikTok allow pre-recorded LIVE?

Not recommended. TikTok's LIVE guidelines ask creators to be present on screen, and a recording may be shown to fewer people.

Is a pre-recorded stream allowed on YouTube?

Yes. We found no YouTube rule against it; for one new video, a YouTube Premiere is another way to show it at a set time.

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